Machine for gumming envelope blanks



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. RAU.- MACHINE EoE GUMMING ENVELOPE BLANKS.

No. 439,039. I Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

Fig.1. 2

WlkflE sses= Inventor, WMflZ/m'M Emanuel Ball,

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 3.

E. RAU. MACHINE FOR GUMMING ENVELOPE BLANKS.

Patented Oct. 21, 1890.

Inven t nr,

Emanuel Ban.

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Witne 5 SEE 2444/ fienns/ AHurn e g (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

E. RAU. MACHINE POE GUMMI-NG ENVELOPE BLANKS.

No. 439,039. Patented 001;. 21, 1890.

111v 511i E11", Emanuel Bau .AH-nrnalrm: mama Perms cm, mom-mum,msmu'amu, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMANUEL RAU, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO THE EMANUEL RAU MANU FACTURINGCOMPANY, OF- NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR GUMMING ENVELOPE-BLAN'KS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,039, dated October21, 1890. Application filed May 8, 1890. Serial No. 851,099. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMANUEL RAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Gumming Envelope-Blanks, of whichthe following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings these improvements are shown applied to amachine whose function in the process of envelope manufacture is to takethe envelope-blanks after they have been cut from the sheet and gum anddry the edge which is to become the seal-flap before passing the blanksto the envelope-machine, which gums the remaining edges, folds, and formthem into envelopes. In my machine the elements of novelty relate to themeans employed for detaching the envelope-blanks from the gumming-roll,to the means employed for removing them from the position in which theyare gummed, and in the construction of the leaves of the dryingchain,all as hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying four sheets of drawings, Figure 1 represents a frontView of the machine embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a side viewdrawn with especial reference to the exhibiting of such mechanism aslies to the right of the center in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section throughthe center of the machine, showing the mechanism on the left side ofFig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of a portion of the mechanism shown inthe preceding figure, and are intended to illustrate the successivepositions taken by the mechanism during the operation of the machine.Fig. 6 is a top View of the machine with the part-s in the same relativepositions as in Fig. 5.

M eehcmism for applying gum to the blanks:- The pile of envelope-blanks1 rests on a platform 2, carried by vertical rods 3 3, which slide inguides and are drawn upward by springs 4 4. The gum is applied to thesealfiap of the top blank of this pile by means of a gumming-r0115. Araised surface 6 on this roll has an outline corresponding to that ofthe surface to be gummed. Arms 7 7, attached to the rock-shaft 8, areswung back and forth by the action of the cam 9 through the connectingmechanism. The ends of the shaft through the gumming-roll slide inhorizontal grooves in the sides of the uprights carrying the rock-shaft.Mounted above the pile of blanks is a presser-foot 10, which may besupported from the frame-work of the machine in any convenient way thatwill restrain it from moving horizontally, while permitting it to have aslight vertical motion. This I have conveniently done by attaching it toa flat spring 11, the other end of which is made fast to the under sideof the gum-box 12. When the arms carry the gumming-roll over the pile ofenvelope-blanks to the position shown in Fig. 4, this gummingroll restson the top of the presser-foot and causes it to clamp the pile ofblanks, so that the further rotation of the gumming-roll, to which thetop blank is adhering, will not draw this blank farther off from thepile; but since the blank is held the raised surface 6 will now draw offfrom the gummed edge of the blank and detach the latter. When thepresser-foot is against the top of the pile of blanks, the platformsupporting them is prevented from descending and relieving the pressure,because clamps 13 13 rest against the rods 3 3, which carry thisplatform. When the gummed surface of the gumming roll is turned downagainst the blanks, the cam 14:, acting on the lever 15, which is fastto the rock-shaft carrying the clamps, unclamps the rods 3 3 and permitsthe springs 4 4: to feed the pile of blanks upward against thegumming-roll. On the shaft with the gumming-roll is a gear 16. This gearmeshes in a rack 17, so that a positive rolling action will be insuredto the gumming-roll in contact with the blank when the former istraversed across the latter by the swinging of the arms 7 7. Means arealso provided for I 3, which last receives the gum adhering to thegumming-roll. When the arms return, the gumming-roll rolls again overthe surface already guinmed, and in so doing picks up the gummed edge ofthe blank, so that it becomes wrapped on the roll, as shown in Fig. 4-.\Vhile the arms are resting in the position shown in this figure thegumming-roll is made to continue its revolution by the movement of therack 17. Since the roll in the first part of this revolution rests onthe presser-foot and clamps the blank, the gummed surface of the rollwill pull off from the gummed edge of the blank, and this edge on beingreleased will fall on the top of the feed roll 20. The continuedrevolution of the gumming-roll will carry its raised surface against thedistributingroll 21 for a fresh coat of gum and turn the portion bearingagainst the presser-foot so that its pressure against the blanks will berelieved, as shown in Fig. 5. The distributing-roll 21 is mounted onarms hinged to the gum-box. These arms have projections against whichthe shaft of the gumming-roll strikes when this latter roll is in theposition shown in Fig. 5, thus rocking the distributing-roll away fromthe gum-box roll and bringing it in contact with the gumming-roll. henthe gumming-roll is rocked away, the arms are free to return the distributing-roll to the gum-box roll.

llfechanism for removing the gummetl blcmh.-The feed-roll 20, on whichthe blank rests after receiving the coating of gum, is carried by thearms 7 7 and is revolved in 'the direction of the arrow, the power beingderived from the cam-shaft and transmitted through the belts and pulleys22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. Above this feed-roll is an idle-roll 27, mountedon an arm fast to the rock-shaft 28. This rock-shaft is turned by thecam 29, acting through its cam-roll and connections to the lever 30, sothat the idle-roll will be lifted away from and let rest against thefeedroll, as required. Pushing-fingers 31 31 are provided to carry theblank after it has left the feed-roll. These are mounted on therockshaft 32 and moved by the cam 33.

Order of operations in removing the gmnmed blank-After the completion ofthe operations which take place in gumming the blank, as describedabove, it rests on the top I of the revolving feed-roll, and thepresserfoot has released its' pressure on the pile of blanks. Theidle-roll is now brought down on the upper side of the gummed blank,inside of the gummed edge, where it will not become gummed, and clampsthe blank against the feed-roll. This latter, in revolving, exerts atraction on the blank that re moves it from under the gumming-roll. It

will be evident on noting the shape of the edge of the blank lastleaving these rolls that when this edge is just passing out from betweenthem at the center it will be out atthe sides sufliciently for thepushing-fingers to rock up -behind. The pushing-fingers next rock upbehind the blank and transfer it between the leaves of the drying-chain.

Construction of the drying c7zatn.'ll1e links 34 of the drying-chain arehinged together on rods 35. The ends. of these rods project so as toenter grooves in guide-pieces 36 36 on the machine, whereby thedryingchain is steadied where the blanks are inserted. Leaves 37 arecarried by the links of the chain and serve to carry the gummed blankswhile the gum is drying. These leaves have flaps 38 hinged to theirfront edges and are normally deflected at a slight angle by springs 3939. As the chain is carried up- Ward past the table of the'machine toreceive the successive gummed blanks on its successive leaves, a fixedcam 40 deflects the flaps in the opposite direction to which the springskeep them, so that a much wider space than the distance between theleaves is atforded for the entrance of the blanks as they are fed to thechain by the pushing-fingers. Spring guard-strips 41 are placed betweenthe leaves attached to contiguous links of the chain and serve toprevent the edges of the blanks from entering the joints between thelinks.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Avertically-adj ustable platform for supporting a pile of envelopeblanksand means, substantially as described, for clamping this platform at thedesired height, in combination with a resser-foot mounted above the pileof blanks, a gumming-roll, mechanism, substantially as described, forvibrating this gumming-roll across the top blank of said pile with arolling action thereon and against said presser-foot, mechanism,substantially as described, for turning this roll when it is not beingvibrated, and a frame-work for the support of the above-mentionedelements, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine for gumming envelopeblanks, a feed-roll positioned wherethe blank can fall upon it after receiving its coating of gum, incombination with an arm carrying an idle-roll above said blank andfeed-roll, mechanism, substantially as described, for swinging said armso as to bringsaid idle-roll against said feed-roll to clamp saidblankbetween said rolls, mechanism,substantially as described, forrotating this feed-roll, a gumming-roll, mechanism, substantially asdescribed, for vibrating this gumming-roll across the top of a pile ofenvelope-blanks, and a frame-work for the support of the above-mentionedelements, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for gumming envelope blanks, a feed-roll positionedWhere the blank can fall upon it after receiving its coating of gum andan arm carrying an idle-roll above said blank and feed-roll, incombination with pushing-fingers adapted to be rocked up between thefeed-roll and the blank when fed IIO therefrom, mechanism, substantiallyas de- 'scribed,.f0r swinging said arm so as to bring said flaps,combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a machine for gumming envelope- I5 blanks, a drying-chain havingleaves for carrying said blanks, in combination with spring guard-stripsbetween the leaves, attached to contiguous links of the chain,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. EMANUEL RAU. Witnesses:

W. O. LEWIS, CHAs. R. BEHRENS.

